Schools minister Nick Gibb MP says that he loves text books, and that they are key to raising standards in schools. So he ought to welcome the new digital text book and learning resources platform – classoos – that debuted at the BETT 2018 educational technology show in London.

Despite his allergy to the digital world Mr Gibb wants to extend the use of text books, and classoos could well do that. It also lifts a great weight from children’s school bags and allows them to share all sorts of digital addenda, including YouTube clips to enrich their experiences. It should save schools on text books, but also on the expensive photocopying they generate for worksheets.

Impressively innovative and affordable, LearnPad is a David among Goliaths

Schools have unprecedented choice for digital tablets, and great savings are possible for those with understanding and confidence.

That’s one reason why UK supplier LearnPad walked away with Exporter of the Year award at this year’s BETT Show. Another was its astonishing range of affordable devices, some as coolly designed as anything from Apple or Microsoft – like the elegant Folio 2 (think of a touch-enabled, portable version of an iMac for just £400).

'With Brain in Hand he can press the red button on his app if he is very anxious and someone in school receives an alert'

Asperger students appreciate safety and support. Sal McKeown finds an edtech solutionMichael has Asperger's Syndrome and like many children he was picked on and bullied, so his parents transferred him to a large comprehensive with a good reputation for student support. One support the school put in place was an assistive technology system called Brain in Hand to help Michael work on the things that he found difficult and discover his own solutions.

Using a smartphone app and secure website, Brain in Hand offers useful tools like timetabling and a diary function, but the main strength is that users work with a special-needs coordinator (Senco), a teaching assistant or a support worker to identify stress points and work out possible solutions.

Holland Park Primary decided on LearnPad after careful thought, research and its own pilots

Tracey Campbell is ICT manager at Holland Park Primary School in Clacton-on-Sea. An expert with technology for learning, she was an original member of the highly respected but now disbanded Essex ICT support team.

Teaching and learning is the top priority for her at Holland Park where she works four days a week (she has helped the school for 14 years, her own children were pupils there and she was active on the PTA). She supports other schools on the remaining day.

Teacher Jonathan Boyle finds a clever friend to help him prepare exam support materials for students

Whenever examinations start to come around, teachers meticulously prepare a raft of past papers and as many documents as possible to support their students. I’ve spent many hours compiling question papers, mark schemes and examiner’s remarks to support my students.

It’s hard work for a busy teacher, which is why we are constantly on the look-out for appropriate help. That’s what brought me to AQA Exampro.